Visitors from all over the world take guided tours of NIH every month, but this July a group of high school students from the Program for Academic and Leadership Skills (PALS) explored not only the NIH campus but its daily world of research and science. Drs. Patricia Becerra, Mary Frances Cotch, Myra Derbyshire and Maria Morasso of the NIH Women Scientist Advisors Committee (WSA) spearheaded this unique fieldtrip.

“The NIH Women Scientist Advisors Committee wanted to develop an outreach initiative to introduce high school girls to NIH,” explained Becerra. “We approached the Foundation for Social and Cultural Advancement, which led us to develop a field trip experience for teenage girls participating in its Washington, D.C. Program for Academic and Leadership Skills.”

Foundation SCA is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that partners with local institutions around the world to help girls and women live with dignity and build brighter futures for themselves, their families, and their communities through its unique, integral approach to development. For the past three years, Foundation SCA has partnered with PALS’ umbrella organization, the Youth Leadership Foundation, which serves disadvantaged youth in D.C. by boosting academic performance while developing character and strong morals.

The fieldtrip, created specifically for PALS, was an incredible opportunity for the young women.

Cotch explained, “In putting together the field trip, we wanted to expose the girls to a variety of activities to give them a broad perspective of NIH’s mission in science and health and to make it a fun, memorable experience for them.”

PALS high school students donned scrubs and entered several labs during their unique tour of NIH, a joint initiative of Foundation SCA and NIH WSA.

The students were welcomed by Cotch and Derbyshire, then given an overview of NIH, the health and medical research being done, and the wide array of non-science work within the institutes by Sheria Washington. On their tour, the students met several scientists, including Drs. Jessica Bermudez and Gail Seabold, who spoke to them about their own background, offered education and career advice and described their research.

They also enjoyed an introduction to genetics with a hands-on exercise extracting DNA from strawberries with Dr. Carla Easter. Donned in scrubs, the students were able to enter labs and see mice first–hand with Julia Drake and Drs. James Pickle and Ginger Tansey. The day ended with a tour of the Clinical Center with Tara Mowery.

“At the end of the field trip, the girls were amazed at the many career options at NIH,” said Cotch.

Every PALS student received a souvenir gift bag from WSA with science education information, health pamphlets and a useful Primer for Women’s Health.

L-R: Michelle Datiles (SCA), Shirley Anghel (PALS), Dr. Mary Frances Cotch (NIH WSA) with PALS high school students at the end of the tour of NIH specifically designed for the PALS Summer High School program.

In addition to these thoughtful keepsakes, hopefully this experience will encouragemore than one of them to work hard and pursue a career in the health professions. It definitely opened the door to the world of medicine and science for all of them.

In thanking their colleagues, Morasso and Derbyshire, WSA co-chairs, said, “The WSA is grateful to the NIH staff who volunteered their time and made the field trip possible.”

June was full of actionopening with a great Happy Hour hosted by our newly created Foundation SCA Junior Boardat a downtown DC restaurant, Lupe, on June 9. See photos here of the fun evening, complete with old faithful supporters and newly found friends, a wonderful array of refreshments, and an auction to boot. We hit our fundraising goal for the evening: thank you to all who came and supported the cause! (Go to ourfacebook page here)

We also launched our first Annual Fund Appeal, reaching out to all our contacts for their commitment to the work of Foundation SCA around the world.

If you would like to contribute to our Annual Fund, you can donate online here or send it to us at:

Foundation SCA

1629 K Street, NW, Suite 300

Washington, DC 20006

This coincided with the release of our 2011 SUMMER NEWSLETTER. If you would like to be added to our mailing list, please email info@foundationsca.org and put “Please add me to your list” in the subject line.

“The story of a young woman’s entrepreneurial success during the Taliban reign in Afghanistan is an argument for international investment in women, says CFR’s Gayle Tzemach Lemmon.”

We completely agree, which is why we are partnering with Las Gravileas, an outstanding training center outside Gautemala City, Guatemala, which gives women suffering from the disaster after Tropical Storm Agatha the training and confidence to launch their own small businesses in traditional craft.

From the timeline to the history in brief, to the interactive map, the GGM will be a seriously useful resource, not only for people in the field but for the average citizen to stay informed and engaged in the ever-growing plethora of urgent world issues.

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a thousand flashes of light: empowering women and girls around the globe

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KENYA. CAMEROON. POLAND. RUSSIA. GUATEMALA. SLOVENIA. USA.

I'm Michelle Datiles, Program Manager at the Foundation for Social & Cultural Advancement, a non-profit based in Washington, DC created by women, led by women, for women.

We focus on giving girls and women access to education and training so they can become independent, responsible leaders, who give back to their communities, be it a village in Sub-Sahara or the neighborhoods of Northeast DC. Like points of light across the globe. A grand mission, isn't it? But completely realistic since we're not doing it alone.

MOSAIC: many hands of many colors reaching together accomplish more than a single pair. Foundation SCA partners--in the fullest meaning of that word--with local initiatives that were initiated and led by local women, respected and supported by the local community. They know best what their needs are; they don't need us for that.

But they do need help to keep up the good work they've begun, and that's where we come in. We identify local initiatives to support, help fund them, and help them develop and grow.